writer – artist – designer

I generally work in limited palettes of 3-5 colors, but I’ve been having fun recently scaling it back even further to either sepia or indigo with an accent or two. This one is all Daniel Smith indigo and Winsor & Newton burnt sienna. I like this combination. Muted and good for value studies, but with a little more interest. With spring here early, I will probably be getting more colorful soon, but it is nice and relaxing to pick a single subject and focus on it patiently with a simple palette. Not something I have been able to do much of recently.

I painted this small cup on 6×6 Fabriano Artistico 90 lb paper entirely with an Isabey pocket squirrel mop. It carries a lot of water and pigment, and is good for washes and details. It is about the same size as a Da Vinci Maestro #6, but seems to hold more water. This might now be my favorite brush, at least for smaller works. Very versatile, and covers more than its small size would sugggest.